"Most people stop way before they should," Tony Horton says in one of the P90X videos. That's a lesson I took to heart from the very day I started P90X, and one of the reasons I believe my transformation was incredible.
We all have those voices in our head that say "this hurts too much," or "I can't keep going," when in fact you can. They say it's the last 2 reps past where you think you should quit that give all of the results. I believe that. Similar to the saying that all of the rewards are 2 steps beyond what you think yout limits are.
When you push hard, right up the the point where your body is ready to give out, you make minute improvements over time, so that your limits expand. This doesn't mean push to the point where your form gets bad, that can lead to injury. What it means is push to the point where you are huffing, puffing, and your mind is screaming at you to stop, but your form is still ok. If your form is still good, you can keep going. If your form sucks, you have to stop.
Push ups are a great example. People pick a number and go to it, and quite often underestimate themselves. When Tony says, "Go until you can't go any more," that's what he means. You should not be able to push yourself back up to the top of a plank while keeping your back in alignment. If you can, do more reps.
By doing this, and pushing yourself to that limit, you'll see the numbers you can do go up well beyond what you think is possible. My first day of P90X I didn't break a total of 100 push ups. Now if I work at it, I can clear 400 push ups in Chest & Back. My record is 460. I never ever would have thought that possible, but I worked harder to get one more here, one more there, and eventually they added up.
This applies to your fitness, your business, your life. Do all you can, then do some more. When you've finally hit the limit, really hit your limit, you'll know it.
Fitness and health are important for everyone, whether you travel for a living or not. Our goal as Independent Team Beachbody Coaches is to provide some useful info, insights, opinions, that may help you on your journey. We specialize in guiding people through Beachbody programs, such as P90X and Insanity.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The positives and negatives of lifting weights
There are a lot of benefits to lifting weights, or any strength training. Your muscles get stronger, and are able to do more. It keeps you fit as you get older, and helps prevent muscle atrophy that occurs without it. It increases your metabolism for up to 36 hours after your workout, and overall in general because increased muscles mass increases your base metabolic rate. Muscle actively burns calories, more so than fat, or other parts of your body.
The real question is how do you get the maximum benefit from lifting weights? That all depends on your goals. There are programs out there like Les Mills Pump, that focus on low weight, high rep, and high calorie burn for an extended time. That's great for getting lean and toned. In these workouts you focus mostly on the concentric phase, or "positive" phase of the lift; that portion of the move where the muscle is actively moving the weight against gravity. The tempo tends to be constant in say bench presses, with a 1 up, 1 down movement, though it does vary throughout the workouts, as do the range of motion.
Classic weight training or bodybuilding, such as in Body Beast, uses high weight and controlled reps. Where a lot of people don't gain maximum results from this style of lifting is that they concentrate nearly entirely on the positive phase of the lift, and only barely control the weight on the way down. That's old school, classic lifting. It allows you to get more weight up, but it takes away from the time your muscle is actually being used. That "Time under tension" has been shown to have a much more profound impact on muscle hypertrophy, or size increase, than the old school way of lifting.
So if you're looking to maximize your muscle growth, when you lift a weight, make sure the negative portion, or eccentric phase, lasts around twice as long as the concentric phase. In other words, 1 count to squeeze the weight up (not push, sling, swing, throw, the weight up; squeeze it in a controlled movement), then a 2 count on the way down. This drastically increases the time the muscle is under tension and thus the impact on the muscle. It also has the added bonus of actually lowering the weight you're using to get greater benefits, which allows your form to stay more solid and helps avoid injury. Men injure themselves in the gym all the time trying to lift heavier than they can with good form. They sacrifice form to get the weight up and that's where injuries can occur.
So lift smart. Good form Concentrate on the squeeze up, and slow negative movement. You'll see marked improvements over time.
The real question is how do you get the maximum benefit from lifting weights? That all depends on your goals. There are programs out there like Les Mills Pump, that focus on low weight, high rep, and high calorie burn for an extended time. That's great for getting lean and toned. In these workouts you focus mostly on the concentric phase, or "positive" phase of the lift; that portion of the move where the muscle is actively moving the weight against gravity. The tempo tends to be constant in say bench presses, with a 1 up, 1 down movement, though it does vary throughout the workouts, as do the range of motion.
Classic weight training or bodybuilding, such as in Body Beast, uses high weight and controlled reps. Where a lot of people don't gain maximum results from this style of lifting is that they concentrate nearly entirely on the positive phase of the lift, and only barely control the weight on the way down. That's old school, classic lifting. It allows you to get more weight up, but it takes away from the time your muscle is actually being used. That "Time under tension" has been shown to have a much more profound impact on muscle hypertrophy, or size increase, than the old school way of lifting.
So if you're looking to maximize your muscle growth, when you lift a weight, make sure the negative portion, or eccentric phase, lasts around twice as long as the concentric phase. In other words, 1 count to squeeze the weight up (not push, sling, swing, throw, the weight up; squeeze it in a controlled movement), then a 2 count on the way down. This drastically increases the time the muscle is under tension and thus the impact on the muscle. It also has the added bonus of actually lowering the weight you're using to get greater benefits, which allows your form to stay more solid and helps avoid injury. Men injure themselves in the gym all the time trying to lift heavier than they can with good form. They sacrifice form to get the weight up and that's where injuries can occur.
So lift smart. Good form Concentrate on the squeeze up, and slow negative movement. You'll see marked improvements over time.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Not all workouts are a stellar explosion of awesomeness
Yep, you read that right, not all workouts are the most amazing, upbeat, "boy do I feel better now!" experiences. Sometimes, they're a struggle just to get started, or get through. Sometimes you're tired, hungry, and mentally not in the game.
Tonight I had one of those experiences. I probably let my blood sugar get a little low (I get grouchy), so starting the workout as late as I did was off on a bad foot. Then I hit a move that more than frustrated me, it physically was damaging me. Not so much as I was injuring myself, but it was a jumprope sequence that I simply could not get, and ended up whipping my legs, back, and even head, with the rope many many times. Every time increased the frustration, and the rope sailed across the room 4 or 5 times. I'm also the type of person who hates to be defeated by something, so I was determined that I would get it at all costs.
That last bit was the mistake, and it's a mindset that can lead to injury, or pushing the frustration level beyond your limits to the point where you quit. I almost did that. Fortunately my mind got ahead of my emotions, and told me to step back, modify the move to something I could do, and press on. In the end I had a good workout, not my best mentally or physically, but good enough to put a positive check mark in the to-do list for the day.
So what did I learn from that? I learned that we all have limitations, we all get frustrated with things from time to time, but there is a possibility of catching that and puttting it in its place. You can control your state of mind, as Tony Robbins says, and change your mood almost instantly. That is easier said than done, but when you catch yourself in a bad state, and recognize it, you can turn it around and have a positive outcome.
This applies to more that just fitness, it's life in general. Bad days come and go. Issues pop up we have to deal with at the worst possible time, but we still deal with them, keep our eyes on the goal, and move forward.
So the next time you're feeling that overwhelming frustration with everything, like you're going to quit, take a step back, change what you're focusing on, and make a modification to the action so you can keep the forward progress going.
Tonight I had one of those experiences. I probably let my blood sugar get a little low (I get grouchy), so starting the workout as late as I did was off on a bad foot. Then I hit a move that more than frustrated me, it physically was damaging me. Not so much as I was injuring myself, but it was a jumprope sequence that I simply could not get, and ended up whipping my legs, back, and even head, with the rope many many times. Every time increased the frustration, and the rope sailed across the room 4 or 5 times. I'm also the type of person who hates to be defeated by something, so I was determined that I would get it at all costs.
That last bit was the mistake, and it's a mindset that can lead to injury, or pushing the frustration level beyond your limits to the point where you quit. I almost did that. Fortunately my mind got ahead of my emotions, and told me to step back, modify the move to something I could do, and press on. In the end I had a good workout, not my best mentally or physically, but good enough to put a positive check mark in the to-do list for the day.
So what did I learn from that? I learned that we all have limitations, we all get frustrated with things from time to time, but there is a possibility of catching that and puttting it in its place. You can control your state of mind, as Tony Robbins says, and change your mood almost instantly. That is easier said than done, but when you catch yourself in a bad state, and recognize it, you can turn it around and have a positive outcome.
This applies to more that just fitness, it's life in general. Bad days come and go. Issues pop up we have to deal with at the worst possible time, but we still deal with them, keep our eyes on the goal, and move forward.
So the next time you're feeling that overwhelming frustration with everything, like you're going to quit, take a step back, change what you're focusing on, and make a modification to the action so you can keep the forward progress going.
Which diet works best?
I've recently come across this question, and a couple of similar ones:
Which diet works best?
How can I lose weight fast?
How can I lose weight before Christmas, or New Years?
The answer to the first question is simple: NO DIET is the one that works best. Diets, particularly named, fad diets, tend to be about deprivation of one thing or another: No carbs; No protein; No sugar; No fruit; Only fruit. Etc. etc. None of the tricks work, because they aren't sustainable.
What IS sustainable is learning a solid Nutrition Plan. That means figuring out the right kinds of healthy foods to eat, and how much of each to eat, and to some degree, when.
For me, I stick to lean meats, fresh or frozen vegetables (no sauce usually, just veggies), and whole grains like brown rice or quinoa. For meats I weigh them out before I cook them, usually eating 4-6 oz as a portion. Quinoa or rice I cook, then measure out 1/2 cup. Veggies I don't measure because they are calorically small, so you can eat a lot of them. An entire head of lettuce has around 30 calories, so load up on these, just avoid drowning them in salad dressing. I measure out 2 tbsp of salad dressing at a time.
There are a lot of formulas for how many calories you need per day, but the general numbers are a good starting place. Men usually need a 2000 calorie per day diet, women about 1800. Active men bump up to 2400-2500, active women 2000 or so. To lose weight at a sustainable rate of 1 lb per week, create a 500 calorie deficit. More than 2 lbs per week, unless you have a lot of fat to lose, can be unhealthy and not sustainable, so don't under eat too drastically. Under eating drastically can actually slow your metabolism and cause you to burn off muscle and horde your body fat stores.
So can you lose weight fast? Not in a healthy way that will keep it off. Can it be done in the next month before the holidays? Probably not, but that doesn't mean you can't start on the right path now and keep that going through the holidays and into next year.
With luck, we all have a few more years on this planet to improve. Know you can always improve, get stronger, be in better shape. We are all a work in progress.
Which diet works best?
How can I lose weight fast?
How can I lose weight before Christmas, or New Years?
The answer to the first question is simple: NO DIET is the one that works best. Diets, particularly named, fad diets, tend to be about deprivation of one thing or another: No carbs; No protein; No sugar; No fruit; Only fruit. Etc. etc. None of the tricks work, because they aren't sustainable.
What IS sustainable is learning a solid Nutrition Plan. That means figuring out the right kinds of healthy foods to eat, and how much of each to eat, and to some degree, when.
For me, I stick to lean meats, fresh or frozen vegetables (no sauce usually, just veggies), and whole grains like brown rice or quinoa. For meats I weigh them out before I cook them, usually eating 4-6 oz as a portion. Quinoa or rice I cook, then measure out 1/2 cup. Veggies I don't measure because they are calorically small, so you can eat a lot of them. An entire head of lettuce has around 30 calories, so load up on these, just avoid drowning them in salad dressing. I measure out 2 tbsp of salad dressing at a time.
There are a lot of formulas for how many calories you need per day, but the general numbers are a good starting place. Men usually need a 2000 calorie per day diet, women about 1800. Active men bump up to 2400-2500, active women 2000 or so. To lose weight at a sustainable rate of 1 lb per week, create a 500 calorie deficit. More than 2 lbs per week, unless you have a lot of fat to lose, can be unhealthy and not sustainable, so don't under eat too drastically. Under eating drastically can actually slow your metabolism and cause you to burn off muscle and horde your body fat stores.
So can you lose weight fast? Not in a healthy way that will keep it off. Can it be done in the next month before the holidays? Probably not, but that doesn't mean you can't start on the right path now and keep that going through the holidays and into next year.
With luck, we all have a few more years on this planet to improve. Know you can always improve, get stronger, be in better shape. We are all a work in progress.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Why should I workout so hard?
There's the real question when it comes to your fitness: Why should I workout so hard? Do I have to workout all the time to be in shape? Why is it so hard to lose weight?
Those questions are varied but come down to the same thing: It takes consistent work to change your body. Most people consider that work hard because it's more difficult than doing nothing, or because their lives are busy and they find adding in more activities difficult, or any other of a slew of reasons.
The workouts themselves don't have to be extreme. If your goal is to look like a pro athlete, with solid muscles and great definition, then yes you absolutely have to workout hard. You also have to watch your nutrition at least 85% of the time to be super clean and healthy. If your goal is simply to be a healthy weight and body fat percentage, to maintain your physical health, then you just have to be consistent and move your body moderately at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week. You also have to work at your nutrition as well, because you can't out-train bad nutrition (the easier your workouts, the more strict you have to be with your intake because you're not burning as many calories).
The real reason for working out consistently and hard is for your long term health. Tony Horton says, "If you take care of your body now, it will take care of you when you're older." That's truth, and we can see it as people age. Those who have kept themselves mobile are able to move around more freely, their joints and muscles hold up better, and their mental/cognitive abilities are better longer.
So what's the best plan for me? The answer to that lies within you: It's the one you will come back to over and over again, at least 5 days per week, that gets your heart rate up to the 70% of your max range for that time. If that means doing Insanity, or P90X, or Crossfit, or Zumba, or martial arts, then do that. We have to look around and see what works for each of us. If you hate it, you won't come back to it. If you find something you love, you'll want to do it, and 30 minutes will fly by.
Find a reason that is important to you, down to the core of your being, long term. Know that you need to keep in shape for that reason; make it a must instead of a should. When someone must do something, they will.
www.flightcrewfitness.net
Those questions are varied but come down to the same thing: It takes consistent work to change your body. Most people consider that work hard because it's more difficult than doing nothing, or because their lives are busy and they find adding in more activities difficult, or any other of a slew of reasons.
The workouts themselves don't have to be extreme. If your goal is to look like a pro athlete, with solid muscles and great definition, then yes you absolutely have to workout hard. You also have to watch your nutrition at least 85% of the time to be super clean and healthy. If your goal is simply to be a healthy weight and body fat percentage, to maintain your physical health, then you just have to be consistent and move your body moderately at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week. You also have to work at your nutrition as well, because you can't out-train bad nutrition (the easier your workouts, the more strict you have to be with your intake because you're not burning as many calories).
The real reason for working out consistently and hard is for your long term health. Tony Horton says, "If you take care of your body now, it will take care of you when you're older." That's truth, and we can see it as people age. Those who have kept themselves mobile are able to move around more freely, their joints and muscles hold up better, and their mental/cognitive abilities are better longer.
So what's the best plan for me? The answer to that lies within you: It's the one you will come back to over and over again, at least 5 days per week, that gets your heart rate up to the 70% of your max range for that time. If that means doing Insanity, or P90X, or Crossfit, or Zumba, or martial arts, then do that. We have to look around and see what works for each of us. If you hate it, you won't come back to it. If you find something you love, you'll want to do it, and 30 minutes will fly by.
Find a reason that is important to you, down to the core of your being, long term. Know that you need to keep in shape for that reason; make it a must instead of a should. When someone must do something, they will.
www.flightcrewfitness.net
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Being a Team Beachbody Coach
In the past 5 years that I've been a Coach with Team Beachbody, I've heard a ton of questions about it like:
What is a Team Beachbody Coach?
Is it a pyrmaid scheme?
Is Team Beachbody a scam?
Don't you have to be one of the first people in to make any money?
Can you make any money with Team Beachbody?
Now, I'm not going to go into a FAQ about being a Coach here. I'd like to express what I've learned in the last 5 years of doing this, and what I believe it is about at it's heart.
Beachbody is a hybrid company, part of which sells a LOT of products through TV infomercials. The other part of it, Team Beachbody, is a network of Coaches, or independent distributors, who move products, but we are so much more than that. Our true purpose is to be there to support those doing Beachbody programs like P90X, Insanity, TurboFire, Body Beast, Les Mills Pump, etc. We are a part of the structure that helps people stay on track to getting the results they want with the program. It's through those results that the trend of obesity that is growing in our country, and our world, can be stemmed.
Being a Coach doesn't require being a fitness expert, but in my opinion, it takes being well versed in Beachbody's programs so that you can advise someone on their questions, or point them in the right direction. Our number 1 vital activity is "Be a product of the products." Not only is it inspiring to others to see that a Coach has made a great transformation, or is in the process of it, but it holds us up with integrity when we are speaking from experience instead of just as a distributor.
Can you make money as a Team Beachbody Coach? Absolutely. I make a substantial amount (to me at least). Is it easy? NO. Is it a get-rich-quick scheme or program? Not in the least. You have to be dedicated to it, driven to succeed, and persistent enough to get past all of those who make excuses about their fitness level and lack of desire to change their lives, and find those who in fact do want to change. You hear a lot more "NO" than "Yes."
So how can you succeed as a Team Beachbody Coach? If you're passionate about the fitness programs and products, and willing to share them with everyone you possibly can, to open as many doors as possible to invite people in, you can succeed. If you're persistent enough to hear those that say "No" and keep looking for the "Yes" in the midst of that, you can succeed. But make no mistake, that success is up to you. Your sponsor should help you learn the basics and guide you, but they are not responsible for you building your business. You hold the reigns, you are in charge. Your sponsor can guide you, but they shouldn't have to chase you down, hound you to do the work, or drag you along. If they have to do those things, they will eventually not do them and you won't hear from them. You have to earn their time with consistent work and progress.
There is a lot that goes into being a good Coach. It's more than just being about recruiting as many people as you can, or selling as many programs as you can. It's about helping enough people succeed in their fitness that your business grows because of it. Do that enough time and it can carry you wherever you want. For me, as a full time airline pilot, it's my retirement plan. Being a Coach will carry me out of my job to retirement around the age of 50-51 years old. To get there in the next 5-6 years, I'll have to continue to bust my butt, and help as many people as I can.
Is it worth it? Every single minute.
What is a Team Beachbody Coach?
Is it a pyrmaid scheme?
Is Team Beachbody a scam?
Don't you have to be one of the first people in to make any money?
Can you make any money with Team Beachbody?
Now, I'm not going to go into a FAQ about being a Coach here. I'd like to express what I've learned in the last 5 years of doing this, and what I believe it is about at it's heart.
Beachbody is a hybrid company, part of which sells a LOT of products through TV infomercials. The other part of it, Team Beachbody, is a network of Coaches, or independent distributors, who move products, but we are so much more than that. Our true purpose is to be there to support those doing Beachbody programs like P90X, Insanity, TurboFire, Body Beast, Les Mills Pump, etc. We are a part of the structure that helps people stay on track to getting the results they want with the program. It's through those results that the trend of obesity that is growing in our country, and our world, can be stemmed.
Being a Coach doesn't require being a fitness expert, but in my opinion, it takes being well versed in Beachbody's programs so that you can advise someone on their questions, or point them in the right direction. Our number 1 vital activity is "Be a product of the products." Not only is it inspiring to others to see that a Coach has made a great transformation, or is in the process of it, but it holds us up with integrity when we are speaking from experience instead of just as a distributor.
Can you make money as a Team Beachbody Coach? Absolutely. I make a substantial amount (to me at least). Is it easy? NO. Is it a get-rich-quick scheme or program? Not in the least. You have to be dedicated to it, driven to succeed, and persistent enough to get past all of those who make excuses about their fitness level and lack of desire to change their lives, and find those who in fact do want to change. You hear a lot more "NO" than "Yes."
So how can you succeed as a Team Beachbody Coach? If you're passionate about the fitness programs and products, and willing to share them with everyone you possibly can, to open as many doors as possible to invite people in, you can succeed. If you're persistent enough to hear those that say "No" and keep looking for the "Yes" in the midst of that, you can succeed. But make no mistake, that success is up to you. Your sponsor should help you learn the basics and guide you, but they are not responsible for you building your business. You hold the reigns, you are in charge. Your sponsor can guide you, but they shouldn't have to chase you down, hound you to do the work, or drag you along. If they have to do those things, they will eventually not do them and you won't hear from them. You have to earn their time with consistent work and progress.
There is a lot that goes into being a good Coach. It's more than just being about recruiting as many people as you can, or selling as many programs as you can. It's about helping enough people succeed in their fitness that your business grows because of it. Do that enough time and it can carry you wherever you want. For me, as a full time airline pilot, it's my retirement plan. Being a Coach will carry me out of my job to retirement around the age of 50-51 years old. To get there in the next 5-6 years, I'll have to continue to bust my butt, and help as many people as I can.
Is it worth it? Every single minute.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Cardio or Weight Training?
The question often comes up, "Which burns more fat: cardio or weight training?"
The answer isn't as simple as the question would seem in technical terms, but when cutting it to the core, the truth is both burn fat. Cardio burns calories during the workout, and if done at high intensity that burn can continue for quite a while. Strength training on the other hand burns calories and fat during the workout, but breaks down the muscles more and thus creates more of a need for repair, and thus growth. That repair burns calories as well, so the long term effect to your metabolism with strength training is excellent. Muscle builds over time with strength training, and larger muscle mass burns more calories inherently as well.
If you really want the best results in your fitness, you'll do both. I am a big believer in splitting the days: Cardio one day, strength training the next. Some people like to do both on the same day, but I split them up because when I do cardio to shred fat, I do High Intensity Interval Training. When I do a strength training routine, I want to leave everything I have on the gym floor, so there is no room for a cardio workout.
The type of training you do has to reflect your goals, which is another consideration. If your goal is to get big, then doing a lot of cardio is counter-productive. If getting really lean is your goal, for speed in say running, cycling, or even martial arts, then doing all weights and little cardio to get big is counter-productive.
So assess your goals, figure out what you want to achieve, and train to get it. If it's a lean yet muscluar body, with good strength and cardiovascular health, do both cardio and hit the weights. Cross-training will get you a long way.
www.flightcrewfitness.net
The answer isn't as simple as the question would seem in technical terms, but when cutting it to the core, the truth is both burn fat. Cardio burns calories during the workout, and if done at high intensity that burn can continue for quite a while. Strength training on the other hand burns calories and fat during the workout, but breaks down the muscles more and thus creates more of a need for repair, and thus growth. That repair burns calories as well, so the long term effect to your metabolism with strength training is excellent. Muscle builds over time with strength training, and larger muscle mass burns more calories inherently as well.
If you really want the best results in your fitness, you'll do both. I am a big believer in splitting the days: Cardio one day, strength training the next. Some people like to do both on the same day, but I split them up because when I do cardio to shred fat, I do High Intensity Interval Training. When I do a strength training routine, I want to leave everything I have on the gym floor, so there is no room for a cardio workout.
The type of training you do has to reflect your goals, which is another consideration. If your goal is to get big, then doing a lot of cardio is counter-productive. If getting really lean is your goal, for speed in say running, cycling, or even martial arts, then doing all weights and little cardio to get big is counter-productive.
So assess your goals, figure out what you want to achieve, and train to get it. If it's a lean yet muscluar body, with good strength and cardiovascular health, do both cardio and hit the weights. Cross-training will get you a long way.
www.flightcrewfitness.net
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Cheat Meals
There are always a lot of questions about a "Cheat meal" here and there. People I think want to know if it's ok every now and then just to let down your guard and eat whatever you want. Some say no, you'll be doing more harm than good. Some say yes, you need to do it for your sanity.
Personally, I'm a member of the second group. Having been through a really bad starvation diet in college that left me extremely resentful, and lead to uncontrollable binge eating, I can tell you that giving in from now and then keeps me sane. I know when I'm craving something not so healthy and it gets to the point that I'm annoyed by NOT getting it, that I need to give in.
There is also an argument from many sources that says you need to cheat every now and then on your caloric intake to keep your body guessing. Plateau effects in exercise are well known, but the same thing occurs in your nutrition: eat the same amount or same thing all the time, your body gets used to it. So, if you're losing weight eating a specific number of calories per day, over time the weight loss will likely dwindle if your exercise output remains constant as well.
To keep yourself off of a plateau, one bodybuilder suggested going over your normal caloric intake by as much as 50% one day per week, every week. He also suggested having something a little less than healthy on that day, BUT that is by no means a license to pig out on every nasty thing you see. That means if you want a burger and a beer that day, go for it..as long as it's not the 32 oz monster burger. Pizza? Have a couple of slices, just not 1/2 of a large pie. Ice cream? 1/2 to 1 cup won't kill you.
Then when you get that out of your system, get back on the bandwagon and stick to the healthy nutrition.
Keep this in mind this week as we roll into Thanksgiving. Enjoy the meal, and time with your family and friends, but don't gorge/binge.
Personally, I'm a member of the second group. Having been through a really bad starvation diet in college that left me extremely resentful, and lead to uncontrollable binge eating, I can tell you that giving in from now and then keeps me sane. I know when I'm craving something not so healthy and it gets to the point that I'm annoyed by NOT getting it, that I need to give in.
There is also an argument from many sources that says you need to cheat every now and then on your caloric intake to keep your body guessing. Plateau effects in exercise are well known, but the same thing occurs in your nutrition: eat the same amount or same thing all the time, your body gets used to it. So, if you're losing weight eating a specific number of calories per day, over time the weight loss will likely dwindle if your exercise output remains constant as well.
To keep yourself off of a plateau, one bodybuilder suggested going over your normal caloric intake by as much as 50% one day per week, every week. He also suggested having something a little less than healthy on that day, BUT that is by no means a license to pig out on every nasty thing you see. That means if you want a burger and a beer that day, go for it..as long as it's not the 32 oz monster burger. Pizza? Have a couple of slices, just not 1/2 of a large pie. Ice cream? 1/2 to 1 cup won't kill you.
Then when you get that out of your system, get back on the bandwagon and stick to the healthy nutrition.
Keep this in mind this week as we roll into Thanksgiving. Enjoy the meal, and time with your family and friends, but don't gorge/binge.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
At what point do you take a break?
I've had a lot of people ask me when I take a break..when do I not workout?
The answer to that is that I really never take a 100% break for an extended time, but I do vary what I do in levels of intensity throughout the week, from program to program, and month to month.
The key to keeping your body from getting on a plateau is to change things up. This goes for nutrition as well as workouts. You can't do the same thing forever, your body adapts to it. I found this to be particularly true after 5 rounds of P90X then my first round of Insanity. Both programs are hard in their different ways, but after so long my body was just used to doing a hyper-intense workout all the time, and my mind was fried from it. I found myself asking, "Do I have to workout this hard, 6 days per week, for the rest of my life to maintain this level of fitness?"
The answer is no. If you're training for an event, you prep for it hard, then after the event you have to back off. Same thing with intense programs; you have to back off and do something easier for a while so your body doesn't completely adapt. You have to make sure that "Over the top, workout 'til you puke" is the new normal for your body. If you let that become the new normal, it becomes harder and harder to push the envelope and you end up actually losing some of your fitness level.
I follow the macrocycle theme: I'll do a 90 day program, then back off for a few weeks and do some easier workouts. I'll workout really hard for a month, then easier for a week. Every 4-6 weeks I take a "Recovery Week," which doesn't mean doing nothing, it means getting some much needed recovery time. Your body needs that just as much, if not more, than it does the shredding workouts.
The answer to that is that I really never take a 100% break for an extended time, but I do vary what I do in levels of intensity throughout the week, from program to program, and month to month.
The key to keeping your body from getting on a plateau is to change things up. This goes for nutrition as well as workouts. You can't do the same thing forever, your body adapts to it. I found this to be particularly true after 5 rounds of P90X then my first round of Insanity. Both programs are hard in their different ways, but after so long my body was just used to doing a hyper-intense workout all the time, and my mind was fried from it. I found myself asking, "Do I have to workout this hard, 6 days per week, for the rest of my life to maintain this level of fitness?"
The answer is no. If you're training for an event, you prep for it hard, then after the event you have to back off. Same thing with intense programs; you have to back off and do something easier for a while so your body doesn't completely adapt. You have to make sure that "Over the top, workout 'til you puke" is the new normal for your body. If you let that become the new normal, it becomes harder and harder to push the envelope and you end up actually losing some of your fitness level.
I follow the macrocycle theme: I'll do a 90 day program, then back off for a few weeks and do some easier workouts. I'll workout really hard for a month, then easier for a week. Every 4-6 weeks I take a "Recovery Week," which doesn't mean doing nothing, it means getting some much needed recovery time. Your body needs that just as much, if not more, than it does the shredding workouts.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Nutrition and travel
There is a lot of talk about how big of a part nutrition is in your fitness. Some trainers believe it's 60% of your results; some nutritionists believe it's more like 80% of your results. Either way, no matter how you look at it, nutrition is the majority of weight loss, fat loss, body composition. A friend once posted, "You can't out-train bad nutrition." That's truth. I've seen time and again people doing hard workout programs like P90X or Insanity and get less than stellar results because they didn't follow the nutrition. I've seen people get astounding results by following the nutrition guides to a T.
Personally I like what Sagi Kalev, trainer in Body Beast says about it: Nutriton is 100% of your results. That's because nutrition impacts your energy level, how your body responds to your workouts, your mood, your digestion. Everything is impacted by your nutrition.
For those of us who are road warriors, traveling all the time, that can be a challenge. Eating right in an airport can be darned near impossible. There are some good resources out there to help out, like apps on smart phones that track calories and have databases of restaurant chain nutrition. The "Eat This, Not That," series of books can also be a good place to check for healthier options.
For me, the best option is to plan ahead, and pack simple meals that I can carry with me every day. I pre-make turkey burgers, chicken breast, etc. and pack them on ice. I carry oatmeal for breakfast in packets, protein bars for snacks. That limits the amount of things I need to get on the road, like fruits & vegetables. It also saves me a ton of money.
Finally, for me, Shakeology is a huge part of my nutrition daily. It's the healthiest thing I can put in my body all day. This helps me get the plant based nutrition I can't carry with me in other forms as easily, and if I add a scoop of protein powder to it, it pumps my protein counts up.
The truth is, nutrition is a vital part of your fitness. Getting it right when you're home every day is a challenge; doing it on the road is even tougher. It can be done. It takes planning, dedication, and the desire to achieve something in your fitness beyond what eating burgers, fries, pizza, and other airport food will allow.
If you are a traveler like me and have questions about how to get this right on the road, feel free to contact me.
Personally I like what Sagi Kalev, trainer in Body Beast says about it: Nutriton is 100% of your results. That's because nutrition impacts your energy level, how your body responds to your workouts, your mood, your digestion. Everything is impacted by your nutrition.
For those of us who are road warriors, traveling all the time, that can be a challenge. Eating right in an airport can be darned near impossible. There are some good resources out there to help out, like apps on smart phones that track calories and have databases of restaurant chain nutrition. The "Eat This, Not That," series of books can also be a good place to check for healthier options.
For me, the best option is to plan ahead, and pack simple meals that I can carry with me every day. I pre-make turkey burgers, chicken breast, etc. and pack them on ice. I carry oatmeal for breakfast in packets, protein bars for snacks. That limits the amount of things I need to get on the road, like fruits & vegetables. It also saves me a ton of money.
Finally, for me, Shakeology is a huge part of my nutrition daily. It's the healthiest thing I can put in my body all day. This helps me get the plant based nutrition I can't carry with me in other forms as easily, and if I add a scoop of protein powder to it, it pumps my protein counts up.
The truth is, nutrition is a vital part of your fitness. Getting it right when you're home every day is a challenge; doing it on the road is even tougher. It can be done. It takes planning, dedication, and the desire to achieve something in your fitness beyond what eating burgers, fries, pizza, and other airport food will allow.
If you are a traveler like me and have questions about how to get this right on the road, feel free to contact me.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
A new direction
Once again I turn myself back to blogging and adding some daily content. My focus however, is now going to be trying to pass along some of what I've learned along the way instead of simply posting for my own accountability. I will probably do some of that as well, but mostly if I'm doing a new program so that I can share it as I experience it for the first time.
Today I was thinking a lot about the struggles we all face in our lives, and how sometimes I feel like I'm spinning my wheels while others rocket ahead. That's true in many aspects of our lives, but in our fitness it sticks out particularly. Fitness takes time to change, no matter how much we want it NOW. We live in a microwave society that is used to everything taking less and less time, but changing your body doesn't work that way.
Many people start to see themselves slip out of shape, or notice it well after the fact and wonder, "How did I get here?" I was like that when I turned 40 and saw a picture of my ever-expanding gut. It made me take notice and find a path that changed my life. The lesson I really learned is that coming back from that edge takes time, concerted effort, and discipline. There are no shortcuts, there are no magic pills to make it happen faster. Trying to shortcut the process can be futile at best, truly dangerous to your health at worst.
When you start on a journey of change, you must stay true to what works and never give up. Know the endgame, but focus on every step of the process and make them without fail. In time, you will look back and see the amazing journey you've made.
Today I was thinking a lot about the struggles we all face in our lives, and how sometimes I feel like I'm spinning my wheels while others rocket ahead. That's true in many aspects of our lives, but in our fitness it sticks out particularly. Fitness takes time to change, no matter how much we want it NOW. We live in a microwave society that is used to everything taking less and less time, but changing your body doesn't work that way.
Many people start to see themselves slip out of shape, or notice it well after the fact and wonder, "How did I get here?" I was like that when I turned 40 and saw a picture of my ever-expanding gut. It made me take notice and find a path that changed my life. The lesson I really learned is that coming back from that edge takes time, concerted effort, and discipline. There are no shortcuts, there are no magic pills to make it happen faster. Trying to shortcut the process can be futile at best, truly dangerous to your health at worst.
When you start on a journey of change, you must stay true to what works and never give up. Know the endgame, but focus on every step of the process and make them without fail. In time, you will look back and see the amazing journey you've made.
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